Git Blame: Find Who Changed What

Ever wondered who last modified a specific line in a file? The git blame command helps you track changes, showing who made the change, when, and in which commit.

Basic Usage

To see the history of changes in a file, run:

git blame filename.txt

This shows:

• Commit hash
• Author name
• Timestamp
• Line of code

Example output:

a1b2c3d (Alice 2024-02-20) Initial commit
e5f6g7h (Bob   2024-02-22) Updated function logic

Blame Specific Lines

Check only certain lines (e.g., 10 to 20)

git blame -L 10,20 filename.txt

Avoid unnecessary blame due to formatting:

git blame -w filename.txt

See Blame Before a Commit

Find how a file looked before a change:

git blame <commit>^ -- filename.txt

Track Changes Across Renames

If a file was renamed, follow its history:

git blame -C filename.txt

✔ Debugging – Find out who introduced a bug.
✔ Code Reviews – Check recent changes.
✔ Documentation – Ask the right person for help.

⚠ Tip: Use git blame to learn, not to point fingers!